Cancer jab safe, say health chiefs

Health chiefs have insisted a cervical cancer vaccine was safe after a 14-year-old who died shortly after being given the jab was found to have had an underlying medical condition.

But the preliminary post-mortem examination findings on Natalie Morton did not completely rule out the possibility of a link between her death and the injection.

While the NHS said it was "most unlikely" the HPV vaccination caused her death, questions remained about the nature of her medical condition.

The Government said it was confident in the cervical vaccination programme and urged parents and schools use it.

Public health minister Gillian Merron said: "We hope that girls continue to protect themselves against cervical cancer by having this vaccine."

Natalie collapsed at Coventry's Blue Coat Church of England School on Monday and died in hospital.

Dr Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for NHS Coventry and Coventry City Council, said: "The preliminary post-mortem results have revealed a serious underlying medical condition which was likely to have caused death.

"We are awaiting further test results which will take some time. However, indications are that it was most unlikely that the HPV vaccination was the cause of death."

The post-mortem examination was carried out at University Hospital in Coventry and Natalie's family had been informed of the initial results, NHS Coventry said.

Meanwhile, the NHS quarantined the batch of Cervarix vaccine and schools and primary care trusts temporarily suspended the immunisation programme. Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has also recalled the specific batch of vaccine for further testing.